Role Of Need For Closure Research Articles

The Role of Need for Closure and Need for Cognition in Writing-Specific Psychological Factors

ABSTRACT This study examined the role of need for closure and need for cognition in predicting second language (L2) writing-specific psychological factors, namely, self-efficacy, anxiety, motivation, and self-regulation. To do this, we collected self-report data from 186 undergraduate learners of English. Results of path analyses revealed that both need for closure and need for cognition predicted writing self-efficacy, anxiety, motivation, and self-regulation. In addition, mediation analyses showed that different aspects of need for closure predicted the psychological aspects of L2 writing indirectly through need for cognition. The findings highlight that learners’ cognition and their tendency toward information processing and willingness to engage in effortful thinking play an essential role in their perception and emotions toward L2 writing. It is recommended that teachers pay particular attention to learners’ need for cognition, need for closure, and the aforementioned writing-specific psychological factors in L2 writing classrooms.

The effect of awe on natural risk-taking preferences: The role of need for closure

Awe alters people’s worldviews and encourages individuals to explore novel experiences. Guided by awe as an emotion, across three studies (N = 896), we tested the effect of awe on natural risk-taking preferences (NRTPs) and the mediating role of the need for closure (NFC). In Study 1, trait awe predicted NRTPs beyond other positive emotions (e.g., amusement). In follow-up studies elicited by videos, positive awe (relative to diverse control states) decreased NFC and natural risk perceptions (NRPs) and increased NRTPs (Studies 2 and 3). Conversely, negative awe reduced preferences for natural risk-taking but did not significantly increase the NFC or NRPs (Study 3). Moreover, NFC mediated the effect of positive awe on NRTPs in Study 2; however, in Study 3, the mediation of ∆NFC (variation of NFC) was not supported for positive or negative awe. The findings supported the key role of positive awe in promoting NRTPs and in reducing NFC, distinguished it from general positive emotion (e.g., amusement and joy) and its negatively valenced variant: negative awe.

Harapan terhadap Perdamaian: Peran Need for Closure, Fondasi Moral, dan Latar Belakang Demografis

This study aims to examine the role of need for closure, moral foundations, and demographic background on hope for peace. The method used was a quantitative survey of 374 students. The measuring instrument consisted of a scale of hope in the context of peace, a scale of need for closure (NFC), and a moral foundation questionnaire (MFQ). The measured demographic background includes age, gender, ethnicity, and affiliation of religious organizations. Data were analyzed using path analysis. Findings from this study indicate that need for closure and moral foundations have a significant direct effect on hopes for peace. There are no differences in hope for peace at different ages, genders, religious organizational affiliations, and ethnicities.

Sympathy as knowledge of the other in need: An investigation into the roles of need for closure and the moral foundations on sympathy toward immigrants

AbstractAlthough sympathy is a powerful other‐focused motivation, not all individuals will experience sympathy when it is appropriate. Immigrants, as a disadvantaged out‐group, are especially in need of sympathy and, given the tensions of the immigration debate, are at‐risk for low sympathy. Indeed, past research has found that sympathy is less likely to be experienced toward disliked out‐groups. In the current research, we investigated the role of need for closure (NFC), or the general desire for epistemic certainty, on the experience of sympathy toward immigrants in Italy, a nation where the immigration debate is becoming increasingly fractious. Consistent with past research on the roles of NFC and the binding moral foundations (i.e., a concern for the well‐being of groups) on prejudice toward out‐groups, we propose that individuals with a high NFC, and who endorsed the binding moral foundations (i.e., a concern for the well‐being of groups), would be particularly likely to have decreased sympathy toward immigrants in Italy. In line with past research and our hypotheses, in three studies we found that the binding foundations mediated the NFC effect on decreased sympathy toward immigrants in Italy. Conceptually, these individuals can strongly adopt traditional cultural norms as a way to acquire stable knowledge; this can make sympathy toward immigrants less likely, as they both stand outside “traditional” morality, as well can threaten the stability of natives’ knowledge.

A cognitively-gated place? The role of need for closure in a biased perception of the place\u2019s past

Biased memory of the past is often a starting point for intergroup conflicts. In three correlational studies, we examined the relationship between need for closure (NFC) and historical ethnocentric bias, a tendency to overestimate the role of one’s ethnic group in the multicultural history of the city of residence. In addition, we checked whether this relationship would be mediated by an individual preference for essentialist places. We found that higher NFC was related to increased historical ethnocentric bias. Moreover, this relation was mediated by preference for an essentialist type of a place. Our results may contribute to understanding the role of individual differences and preferred type of place in shaping a biased representation of the past. Furthermore, our research findings point to the importance of raising awareness of the multicultural past among high NFC individuals.

"Keeping in mind the gender stereotype": the role of need for closure in the retrieval-induced forgetting of female managers' qualities.

The present research addressed the question of whether need for closure (NFC; Kruglanski in The psychology of closed mindedness, Psychology Press, New York, 2004) biases individuals' memory of female leaders. Merging research on role congruity theory of leadership (Koenig et al. in Psychol Bull 4:616-642, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023557 ) and research on retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF, Anderson et al. in J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cognit 20:1063-1087, 1994. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.65.5.861 ), we hypothesized and found that high-NFC participants show (1) a higher RIF of dimensions commonly associated with the leadership prototype (agentic/masculine) ascribed to female manager targets, when selectively retrieved dimensions commonly associated with the female prototype (communal/feminine) were ascribed to the same target; and (2) a lessened RIF of female stereotypical dimensions ascribed to female manager targets, when selectively retrieved prototypical leadership dimensions were ascribed to the same target. Overall, the present findings suggest that when faced with women leaders, high NfC enhances the accessibility of gender stereotype-congruent memories and reduces the accessibility of prototypical leadership ones, thus reducing the RIF of communal/feminine memories.

The role of the categorization process on the influence of a famous football player on the evaluations of a football team

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how the categorization of a football player influences the evaluations of a football team among participants from Mexico and to test for the moderating role of need for closure. In order to test the hypotheses, the authors conduct two experiments.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used an empirimental approach. Specifically in the experimental condition, the authors brought to mind, in one condition, the team membership of Lionel Messi and assessed the evaluations of Barcelona FC. In the control condition, the authors did not bring to mind the membership of Lionel Messi and only assessed the evaluations of Barcelona FC.FindingsResults from two experiments showed that Barcelona FC obtained better evaluations when participants assigned Messi as one of its players. Evaluations were not moderated by a variable known to influence information processing such as need for closure.Originality/valueIt is a psychological truism that human judgments are context dependent. How good one judges a football team to be, depends not only on the specific qualities of the team, but also on the standard of comparison used to make that judgment. Surprisingly, scant attention has been given to context effects in team or player evaluations (see Puente-Díaz and Puente-Díaz, 2014 for an exception). The investigation seeks to fill this gap.

Group-centrism in the absence of group norms: The role of need for closure in social projection

The need for closure (NFC) promotes group-centrism, referring to the pursuit of a shared reality in a group, commonly achieved through conformity to and introjection of group norms. The present study expands this perspective by examining how NFC motivates projection of one’s own norms on groups, as an alternative means to achieve epistemic security in the absence of clear group norms. In Study 1 (N = 261), individual differences in NFC predicted social projection onto an incidental crowd, providing evidence for the generic effect of NFC on social projection. In line with the assertion that the epistemic value of a collectivity is a function of the degree to which the collectivity matters for the individual, Study 2 (N = 239) and Study 3 (N = 223) revealed that NFC effects on social projection were strengthened for in-groups and disappeared for out-groups. Furthermore, mediation analyses demonstrated that essentialist entitativity beliefs mediate the relationship between NFC and in-group projection.

When Do Conflicts Feel Right for Prevention-Focused Individuals? The Debiasing Effect of Low Need for Closure

ABSTRACTBoth lay beliefs and research findings suggest that people tend to avoid conflicts if interpersonal harmony is highly valued. Counter to this widely accepted convention, we adopt the perspective of motivated social cognition to argue that conflict avoidance is subject to the joint effect of the need for epistemic security (need for closure) and the motivation to prevent losses (prevention focus). Such effect is mediated by negative anticipation towards the consequences of confronting conflicts. Results across three studies indicated that individuals with relatively high need for closure and high prevention focus show the strongest conflict avoidance tendency due to their heightened negative anticipation. However, with low need for closure, the negative anticipation and conflict avoidance tendency of high prevention-focused individuals are weakened or even disappear. This research offers a novel theory about the mechanism of conflict avoidance. The findings about the debiasing role of low need for closure also provide rich implications for conflict resolutions.

Comparing integral and incidental emotions: Testing insights from emotions as social information theory and attribution theory.

Studies have indicated that observers can infer information about others' behavioral intentions from others' emotions and use this information in making their own decisions. Integrating emotions as social information (EASI) theory and attribution theory, we argue that the interpersonal effects of emotions are not only influenced by the type of discrete emotion (e.g., anger vs. happiness) but also by the target of the emotion (i.e., how the emotion relates to the situation). We compare the interpersonal effects of emotions that are integral (i.e., related to the situation) versus incidental (i.e., lacking a clear target in the situation) in a negotiation context. Results from 4 studies support our general argument that the target of an opponent's emotion influences the degree to which observers attribute the emotion to their own behavior. These attributions influence observers' inferences regarding the perceived threat of an impasse or cooperativeness of an opponent, which can motivate observers to strategically adjust their behavior. Specifically, emotion target influenced concessions for both anger and happiness (Study 1, N = 254), with perceived threat and cooperativeness mediating the effects of anger and happiness, respectively (Study 2, N = 280). Study 3 (N = 314) demonstrated the mediating role of attributions and moderating role of need for closure. Study 4 (N = 193) outlined how observers' need for cognitive closure influences how they attribute incidental anger. We discuss theoretical implications related to the social influence of emotions as well as practical implications related to the impact of personality on negotiators' biases and behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record

Rising up to the ‘challenge’? The role of need for closure and situational appraisals in creative performance

In two studies, we examined the influence of need for closure (NFC), and motivational states of challenge and threat on creativity. NFC is defined as a desire for quick and unambiguous answers to questions and an aversion to uncertainty. Creativity tasks usually elicit uncertainty; we predicted that high (vs. low) NFC people would decline in creativity due to the distress caused by creativity tasks. We argued that the appraisal of the creativity task as challenge would increase creative performance while appraising the same as threat would decrease creativity. We suggested, however, that high NFC individuals would show low creativity regardless of the induced state of threat or challenge, experiencing constant distress associated with creativity tasks. However, low NFC individuals would be more creative in a challenge state; however in the threat condition, they would show less creativity. In Study 1, challenge and threat were induced using mindset manipulations and in Study 2, challenge and threat states were invoked by implementing false feedback of success and failure and perceived resource gain or loss. The manipulations were followed by the Alternative Uses Brick task to measure creativity. Results confirmed the assumptions and were discussed in the context of need for closure theory.

Who Doesn't Want to be an Entrepreneur? The Role of Need for Closure in Forming Entrepreneurial Intentions of Polish Students

Objective : The objective of this paper is to broaden our understanding of the factors that shape entrepreneurial intention (EI). Specifically, we analyse how the need for cognitive closure (NfC) influences EI. Research Design & Methods : We test our hypothesis using hierarchical regression models, based a sample of 129 Polish business students, controlling for a number of individual-level variables (i.e., gender, entrepreneurial role models, educational profile, entrepreneurial self-efficacy and locus of control). Findings: We find support for the assertion that NfC negatively influences the level of EI. In comparison with the baseline model (control variables only), the explanatory power of the model including the NfC is significantly higher. Individuals that score higher on the need for cognitive closure declare lower entrepreneurial intentions. Implications & Recommendations: This study suggests that EI is to a large extent influenced by relatively stable, dispositional, personal-level variables, thus indicating potential barriers to fostering entrepreneurship through institutional measures. However, further studies investigating the interactions between individual level and institutional level variables are needed in order to assess the impact of such measures on entrepreneurial intentions and behaviours. Such research will bring important practical insights into entrepreneurial education and public policy. Contribution & Value Added: The originality of this work lies in incorporating NfC into the literature on antecedents of EI.

Openness to Experience, Honesty–Humility and ideological attitudes: A fine-grained analysis

We aimed at replicating and extending recent findings about the relationships between the specific aspects entailed by Honesty–Humility and Openness to Experience and ideological attitudes. Study 1 (N=820) indicated that Openness-Curiosity, not Openness-Cultural, was uniquely associated with Right Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) and that Humility, not Honesty, was uniquely related to Social Dominance Orientation. Divergent effects on RWA were identified for Honesty (positive) and Humility (negative). Study 2 (N=586) replicated further these results and investigated the moderating role of interest in politics, and the mediating role of Need for Closure in shaping the pattern of associations. Openness-Curiosity and Humility were related to ideological attitudes mostly in a direct way, and these associations were strengthened by interest in politics.

The intergenerational transmission of need for closure underlies the transmission of authoritarianism and anti-immigrant prejudice

Previous research has identified need for closure (NFC) as an important motivational-cognitive basis of authoritarianism and prejudice. However, to date, the role of NFC in the intergenerational similarity in authoritarianism and prejudice has remained unclear. In a sample of 169 parent–child dyads, we investigated the similarity between parents and children in NFC and tested whether this intergenerational similarity may account for the intergenerational similarity in authoritarianism and anti-immigrant prejudice. Our results revealed that parental levels of NFC were indeed concordant with the levels of NFC in their children. Even more importantly, parental NFC was indirectly related to child authoritarianism and prejudice in two ways. The first pathway proceeded through the direct relationships between parental and children’s levels of authoritarianism and prejudice. The second pathway, however, bypassed parental levels of authoritarianism and prejudice and proceeded through the intergenerational similarity in NFC. Our findings thus indicate that a significant portion of children’s levels of authoritarianism and anti-immigrant prejudice can be explained by parent–child similarity in motivated cognition. Implications for developmental theories of prejudice acquisition are discussed.

The role of need for closure in essentialist entitativity beliefs and prejudice: An epistemic needs approach to racial categorization

The present research investigates how people's general epistemic motives may inspire essentialist beliefs about racial groups and racism. In three studies, we focus particularly on essentialist entitativity (EE, referring to beliefs about the uniformity, informativeness, and inherent core of racial groups), probing into its relationships with epistemic need for closure (NFC) and prejudice. In Study 1, we develop an EE scale, empirically distinguish it from the naturalness component of essentialism and non-EE beliefs, and establish its predictive utility for explaining racial prejudice. Study 2 provides experimental evidence for the causal effect of NFC on EE beliefs. Study 3 demonstrates in three different samples that EE beliefs mediate the relationship between dispositional NFC and racial prejudice. It is argued that EE beliefs about racial groups are an expression of motivated social cognition, serving people's seizing needs for quick and easy social judgment.

Identity Development in Cultural Transition: The Role of Need for Closure

International sojourn provides individuals with an opportunity to form new personal ties and new social identities. This study examined the role of friendship ties and individual differences in need for cognitive closure (NCC) in the development of identification as international students among 140 Asian students in Australia. Evidence was found to suggest that high NCC students develop stronger identification with their new identity group. Perceived cohesiveness of international students as a group predicted stronger identification with international students only among high NCC students, as predicted. In contrast, having stronger international friendship ties predicted stronger identification only among low NCC students. Data also suggested that NCC tends to be higher for students from cultures low on Hofstede’s Uncertainty Avoidance Index and among students whose first language was not English. NCC plays a significant role in sojourners’ identity development during acculturation.

Safety Climate and Relational Conflict in the Eyes of Team Members: Examining the Role of Need for Closure

This study was aimed at examining the safety climate and relational conflict within teams at the individual level. A sample of 372 respondents, divided into 50 teams, was used to test our hypothesis. It was proposed – and discovered – that team members' individual differences in need for closure mitigated the negative relationship between perceptions of team safety climate and team relational conflict. The implications of our findings and the study's limitations are discussed.

Need for closure and anxiety in delusions: A longitudinal investigation in early psychosis

This study investigated the role of need for closure (NFC) and anxiety in delusions. The Need For Closure Scale (NFCS) and measures of trait and state anxiety were administered to an early psychosis group with current delusions, a clinical (generalised anxiety disorder—GAD) control group and a non-clinical control group. The battery of questionnaires was repeated at follow-up one year later. The NFCS did not meet criteria for a unidimensional scale and two sub-scales were removed from all further analyses. At baseline the deluded and GAD groups scored significantly higher on the reduced NFCS (NFCS-R) than the control group. Trait anxiety was related to NFCS-R in the GAD and non-clinical control groups, but not in the deluded group. At follow-up all groups scored significantly lower on the NFCS-R, perhaps suggesting a practice effect, although the two clinical groups continued to have higher scores than the non-clinical control group. The recovered and non-recovered deluded groups did not differ on the NFCS-R one year later, unlike in the GAD group where recovered participants had significantly lower scores than the non-recovered. Change scores on the NFCS-R and trait anxiety were correlated at trend level in the GAD and non-clinical control groups, but not in the deluded group. These findings suggest that whilst NFC and trait anxiety are related in non-psychotic groups, NFC may be implicated in the formation of delusions, independently of anxiety, in psychotic individuals.

The Need for Closure and the Spontaneous Use of Complex and Simple Cognitive Structures

The authors performed 2 experiments that explored the causal role of need for closure in producing the use of simple structures. In particular, the authors gave the participants a cue that called for a complex or a simple solution on a cognitive complexity task. The authors created the participants' need for closure through the use of time pressure. The results of both experiments revealed that participants only generated complex solutions in the complex cue-no time pressure condition. The discussion is focused on the effects of need for closure in tasks calling for adaptive and spontaneous flexibility.

Derogation and distancing as terror management strategies: The moderating role of need for closure and permeability of group boundaries.

Derogation and distancing as terror management strategies: The moderating role of need for closure and permeability of group boundaries.